My toddler has been so into playing with the light table at the play center we go to every week and I really wanted to get one at home until I looked at the price. Why are they so pricey?

A budget option had gone viral recently on the internet but it’s not available in Canada so I decided to make one ourselves, and it turned out to be super simple and only cost $12 because we were able to source everything at the dollar store. It’s also super easy to put together and no matter where you are in the world, you can do this too!

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Materials you’ll need for the light table/box:

This is everything you’ll need:

• Clear storage box
• White tissue paper (the gift wrapping kind)
• 2 light bars
• Clear tape

To assemble it, cover the inside of the box and the bottom of the lid with one layer of the white tissue paper. Using clear tape ensures that you don’t see the tape.

Next, add the lights on the inside and close the box. Your light box is ready!

Ways to play:

My toddler’s favorite way to play with it is with magnetic tiles on it. We have the Connetix Tiles and love them! They’re amazing quality and I am always surprised by how long my toddler can play with them. They’re one of the most played with toys in our home and so great to take on the go too!

We have also used the light table for drawing on with washable markers. You can use a wet wipe to clean it up super easily.

If you want to do some sort of sensory play on the top of this table, you can add a clear tray or clear shallow box (like the ones used for fridge organization) to contain the sand or slime (or whatever else you use).

Video Tutorial